On Monday, during the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya's Ram Temple, the 51-inch Ram Lalla idol, crafted by Arun Yogiraj, found it rightful place. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced that the original Ram Lalla idol, along with the new one, and the two not selected idols, will be housed in the Ram Temple.
According to Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the old idol will be positioned in front of the new one. The original idol was five to six inches in height wasn't visible from a distance of 25 to 30 feet, therefore a new idol was warranted. Currently placed in an interim shrine, the old idol will maintain its significance in the temple.
"The original idol will be placed in front of Ram Lalla. The original idol is very important. It is five to six inches in height and cannot be seen from a distance of 25 to 30 feet. That is why we needed a bigger idol," explained Giri.
The new Ram Lalla idol was chosen by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust based on its alignment with the desired qualities. They believe that the new idol perfectly embodies child-like innocence, divinity, and royalty.
Giri commented on the selection process, saying, "It was very difficult for us to choose one idol out of three. All of them are very beautiful and all followed the criteria provided by us. The first criterion was that the face should be child-like with a divine glow. Lord Ram was ajaanbaahu (a person whose arms reach near the knees). So the arms should be of that length."
The two remaining idols, not chosen by the trust, will also find a place within the Ram Temple premises. One is a 51-inch dark stone idol, and the other is crafted from pure white Makrana marble from Rajasthan. They will be situated on the first and second floors of the temple.
